A Girl and Her Horse
by LuckyxLabradoodlexLoverx7
Summary: AU: Eleven-year-old Teddy shows her first pony at the fair. She then shares her love of horses with her daughter. One-Shot.


Disclaimer – I own nothing of Good Luck Charlie. It belongs to its respected owner. I do own the characters of Dusty, Sunshine and Teddy's daughter, Emily and the plot. 'Nuff said.

A/N: When I was 10-years-old, I showed my first pony at fair. I stopped when I was 21-years-old. Those were the best years of my life.

Also, I was watching Good Luck Charlie recently and I noticed during the opening credits, there's a picture of Teddy on a horse. That's where this story idea comes from.

Summary: AU: Eleven-year-old Teddy shows her first pony at the fair. She then shares her love of horses with her daughter. One-Shot.

Genre: Family/None

Rating: K

* * *

Eleven-year-old Teddy Duncan walked down the wide aisle. She was riding a pony for the first time and was so excited.

At the end of the row of stalls, there was a tall skinny Hispanic woman who had a brown pony already tacked up under English saddle and bridle.

"Hi, Teddy. My name's Elaine and I'm your riding instructor." The woman introduced herself to Teddy. She then turned to the pony. "This is Dusty – you'll be riding her today."

Teddy grinned from ear to ear as Elaine led Dusty to the mounting block.

"Hi, honey!" Amy waved from the viewing area. She was there with thirteen-year-old PJ and nine-year-old Gabe. Bob was working, but was anxious to hear all about it when Teddy came home.

Teddy was the only one riding, which she was happy about. She enjoyed being on Dusty and hoped to ride her for the rest of her life.

Unfortunately, Teddy outgrew Dusty and it was time to look for another horse for her to ride.

Elaine found a bay horse for Teddy to ride. It had a broad blaze that ran down its face and also had two front socks.

"Teddy, this is Sunshine. She's about eighteen-years-old and is a total sweetheart." Elaine told Teddy. Teddy smiled and mounted Sunshine. She was now thirteen-years-old and felt her love of horses grow stronger than ever.

Teddy ended up showing Sunshine at the Denver County Fair. Teddy and Sunshine competed in dressage, jumping, trail and gymkhana. She won all sorts of ribbons and trophies.

Three years after Teddy stopped competing, Sunshine got very sick. Elaine and Teddy, along with the vet, did everything they could do for Sunshine.

Unfortunately, there wasn't anything the three of them could do for her. Elaine held Teddy as the vet euthanized Sunshine.

That was the saddest day of Teddy's life.

_Several years later_

Teddy was watching her daughter, Emily, look through family albums. Emily had Spencer's dark hair and Teddy's blue eyes. Emily was five-years-old and was curious about everything and everyone.

"Momma, who's that?" Emily questioned, bringing the photo album over to Teddy. Teddy held her daughter in her lap and looked at the picture. It was of Teddy, Amy, Bob, PJ and Gabe all gathered around Sunshine.

"That's grandma, grandpa and your uncles PJ and Gabe." Teddy told her daughter.

"Where are aunts Charlie and Sydney?"

"They weren't born yet."

"Who's the horse?" Emily inquired.

"That's Sunshine – she was a horse I used to ride."

"Where is she now?"

Teddy looked to Spencer for help.

"She went to the big stable in the sky."

Emily stopped asking questions about Sunshine after that, which Teddy was grateful.

Teddy ended up going out with Ivy that evening. Spencer suggested that Teddy needed to get out of the house. Teddy gathered her things and headed out the door, promising that she wouldn't be out too long.

"Doesn't RJ look like Raymond?" Ivy asked. Teddy smiled and agreed with her best friend. Her other son, Traven, looked like Ivy.

Ivy had twin boys who were about Emily's age. Teddy smiled at their pictures, really wanting another child. She kept miscarrying so she and Spencer agreed to stop having children. They were looking into possibly adopting an older boy with special needs.

Three years later, Teddy and Spencer were parents again – this time to Patrick, a fourteen-year-old boy with Cebreal Palsy. He loved animals, epically horses, dogs and wolves. He also enjoyed reading, robots, science and geography.

One morning, Patrick said that he wanted to go riding. Emily sparked an interest and Teddy called around. Spencer was working, so it was just the three of them that day.

There was a great horseback riding stable near Teddy and Spencer's place that specialized in therapeutic riding.

While they were waiting to ride, Teddy felt her thoughts drift back to the one pony and one horse she rode in her life. She hoped wherever they were, they were happy, healthy and safe.

Teddy ended up riding a big black gelding named Ivanhoe; Emily rode a pony named Alaska and Patrick rode a gentle dappled-gray mare named Eve.

After the ride, Teddy felt like a whole new person. She missed horseback riding and signed up to volunteer at the stable four days a week.

With their combined salaries, Teddy and Spencer saved up to buy a horse for the kids to share. She and Spencer found a beautiful chestnut Quarter Horse mare with a blaze and four even white socks on each of her feet. She was about seventeen, according to the auction vet.

The two of them got her loaded in the trailer and dropped her off at the therapeutic riding stable.

"Good girl, come on, easy does it." Spencer soothed the horse, patting her on the shoulder as she calmly backed down the ramp. She then raised her head and whinnied loudly. Several other horses whinnied back to her.

"Hi Teddy and Spencer!" Mandy, the owner of the stable, greeted Teddy and Spencer. She then held out her hand to let the new horse sniff her. The horse nudged Mandy's hand before following Teddy and Spencer into the shadows of the barn.

"She didn't come with a name, but we've been calling her Courage, since she's being such a brave horse." Teddy told Mandy.

"Courage – I like it!" Mandy told the couple, rubbing the spot under Courage's forelock. Courage rubbed her face on Mandy's shirt, leaving white hairs all over Mandy's black shirt.

Between Spencer, Teddy, Emily and Patrick, they decided that Courage's registered name would be Courage Under Fire.

The four of them knew that Courage would be an excellent edition to the family. She would live longer than any cat or dog that the family would have originally gotten.

Courage lived to be forty-five-years-old and had bred five times, delivering four healthy colts and a healthy filly.

Emily and Patrick bought two of the foals – the rest were used in the therapeutic riding stable. The children passed their love of horses to their children, hoping that the love of horses would stay in the family.


End file.
